Maryland and Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
The old adage “March comes in like a lion,” certainly held true this week, with gale-force winds keeping many catch-and-release striped bass anglers off the water at times. However, there have been bright spots, namely for those ducking out of the wind and fishing protected coves. Despite gusty conditions, the weather has been noticeably warmer and as a result, climbing water temps have found striped bass of mixed sizes chasing schools of bait into the shallows. Soft plastics and jigs are still getting the job done.
Keep in mind that all spawning rivers and the Upper Bay spawning area are off-limits to striped bass fishing, even for catch-and-release anglers. In the bay, fishing is catch and release only from Brewerton Channel to the Virginia state line. There are also changes to hook regulations in the interest of protecting striped bass. Click here to view all of the updated regulations.
In addition to striped bass fishing, fly fishers and light-tackle enthusiasts have been enjoying the pre-season trout stocking in central Maryland ponds. Be sure to purchase your trout stamps and check fishing regulations and closure areas before you go.
Meanwhile, in the rivers, the yellow perch run is well underway; there’s some great perch fishing happening on the Eastern Shore where chain pickerel have also been in the mix.
From Ocean City, Taylor Bakke of Always Bent Fishing OC reported that they’re finally starting to see some consistent activity from stripers in the back bays of OC and Assateague Island. Water temperatures have been rising slowly but steadily, and while areas of open water are still hovering between the upper 30s and the 40-degree mark, the skinny marshes and canals have produced a few school-size fish this week. Check out their website and YouTube channel for videos and detailed fishing reports if you’re planning to get out and looking for a good starting point.
Captain Jamie Clough of Eastern Shore Light Tackle Charters in Chester shared that he was only able to get out once this week but he’s got a busy schedule coming up with daily highs in the 50s and 60s ahead. His last group put together a nice catch of stripers on jigs and soft plastics, but the skipper noted that the fish have moved into shallower water where temperatures are rising quickly. He’s following the same recipe of utilizing electronics to locate schools of menhaden in areas with plenty of moving water, and the bass are usually not far behind. The captain maintains that keeping engine noise to an absolute minimum is paramount when it comes to staying with the fish; excessive boat noise is a quick way to shut down a bite. Check out their Facebook page for contact information to reach out for upcoming availability.
Anglers Sport Center Fishing Report – Annapolis, MD
The Anglers Sport Center fishing report is written by Anglers Fishing Manager & OTW Columnist, Alex Gallardo-Perez.
Most anglers have been keeping busy with the pre-season trout stocking that begins this time of the year. Lots of ponds in the central Maryland region were stocked this past week. PowerBait and small inline spinners are the trick to get the rainbow trout to bite. The yellow perch run has begun as well in most of the region, with the Eastern Shore seeing most of the action in the middle sections of rivers like the Choptank and Chester. The striped bass bite has been up and down, with most anglers still fishing the power plant and finding some schools of mixed-size fish around the warm water discharge at Calvert Cliffs.
Chesapeake Bay Fishing Forecast
With warm weather and low to moderate wind in the forecast for the coming week, anglers are anticipating the striped bass bite to fire up as water temperatures rise. The action has been spotty with hit or miss conditions lately, but now is the time to get in on the bite before the April spawning closure. Anglers jigging swim shads or throwing shallow-diving minnow plugs in areas where water temperatures are hovering between the low to mid 40s will have the best chances; but, as the bass move into shallower areas near spawning rivers, where they can be caught in 10- to 20-foot depths, they’ll be even more susceptible to engine noise and fishing pressure, so a stealthy approach is key.
Yellow perch fishing should remain solid through the month and into early April. Grab your micro plastics, inline spinners, and jigging spoons, and head to your local river if you’re in search of some chunky specimens. As water temperatures approach 50 degrees in the rivers, chain pickerel are also be readily available as they put on the feed bags prior to spawning. Consider using a slightly heavier leader material to minimize break-offs, and reach for jerkbaits or low-profile paddletails equipped with single hooks to minimize damage on these aggressive and toothy “slime darts”.
For anglers interested in pursuing larger targets this month, consider fishing the edges of channels for invasive blue catfish, which will slowly begin leaving their winter haunts as water temperatures continue to climb. After this stretch of warm weather, shallow mud flats adjacent to channels will see improved fishing for blues, and they’ll eat just about anything you put in front of them, from chunks of bunker and mud shad to paddletails worked slowly over bottom on the flats and channel edges.
Enjoy the nice weather ahead, stay safe out there, and catch ’em up.